The Studio Ghibli Museum is a place of wonder and joy. If you plan to go to Japan and love Totoro, don’t skip it. There are many little delights to discover there as well as get a close look at how films are made. I didn’t take many pictures inside, as it is very discouraged but I found a few pictures and videos that others took, that I will incorporate.

Before You Leave Home

You need to buy tickets and you need to buy them well in advance. The tickets are sold at the first of the month for the next 3 months through a travel agency. The process doesn’t look like it has changed much over the years, but I definitely say, “don’t wait.” We had to have our tickets mailed to us though. it didn’t take long to receive them.

Getting to the Ghibli Museum

We took the train from our hotel out the museum in Mitaka. The trip took about an hour from start to finish. The museum has great directions on their website along with a little map. The main image for this post was taken from a walkway over the station, so you can see a little bit of what it looks like. Once you are outside the train station, it is pretty easy to find the bus to the museum.

You will get to see a little bit of the town on the way to the museum as well. The trip if pretty quick. If you arrive too early, there is a park next door that is quite lovely.

Inside the Studio Ghibli Museum

We had a such a good time viewing all the exhibits. While photos were discouraged, I mostly walked around with my jaw open ooh’ing and ah’ing over everything, too busy to even remember my camera much. The main entry way’s ceiling is covered in a beautiful floral fresco.

The main hall that connects all the parts of the museum is breathtaking. You can imagine yourself in the studio’s films when standing in the middle of it.

There is a GIANT Cat Bus!!! I wish I could have climbed in it and taken a few photos but it is for kids only. Unfortunately, no one has cc licensed images to embed here, but they are easy to find on search.

The museum has a rotating art exhibit area. When we were there, Ponyo was about to be released so it featured a lot of the art for the film. Didn’t get to see the film for a long time after the trip but it was really interesting to see the early art for the movie. The Ghibli Museum exhibits change on regular basis, so be sure to check their site ahead of time.

There is a theater that plays a special short film that only plays at the museum. The shorts are all in Japanese, but worth watching for the art alone. I did not understand any of the words, but the short we watched was definitely about saving the environment, a theme common in Miyazaki’s work.

One of the main areas has as a Zoetrope that is stunning! There is always a crowd around it, but wait for people to clear out and watch the 3D animation come to life. The video below does not do the exhibit justice, only gives you a peek at the experience.

Outside of the museum

Mei has a little café for refreshments outside the museum. The hat café is adorable and a nice place to take a break.

On the roof, a 1:1 scale statue of the main robot from Castle in the Sky stands tall above the museum. There are several other little pieces from the same film but they are difficult to get a picture of without a stranger in the shot.

The grounds are very peaceful and filled with touching details and gorgeous designs.

Have you ever been to the Ghibli Museum? What was your favorite part?